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The violence in southern Syria was triggered by the alleged kidnapping of a Druze merchant near Damascus. On Sunday, tensions escalated when Druze militias surrounded and seized al-Maqwas, a Bedouin neighborhood in Suweida. In retaliation, tribal Bedouin fighters attacked Druze areas around the province.
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The conflict rapidly spread across towns like Sumay, Mazraah, and Tayrah, where reports indicated shelling, house burnings, and mass displacement. Despite efforts from local leaders and spiritual figures urging calm, the sectarian nature of the violence is reminiscent of Syria’s earlier conflicts.
The Syrian interior ministry blamed the chaos on the lack of government presence and institutional control, and promised a joint military-police intervention. The governor urged citizens to show restraint while national reconciliation efforts continue.
This outbreak is part of a wider trend of instability since the December overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad by Islamist-led rebels. Many minority groups, including the Druze, have voiced fears over the new regime’s ability to protect religious and ethnic communities.
In May, more than 130 people died in earlier clashes involving Druze militias, security forces, and Sunni Islamist fighters near Damascus and Suweida. Following that violence, the government allowed Druze militias to form local security forces in Suweida – a controversial deal that some now blame for fueling division.
Though Sunday night mediation led to the release of some captives, drone attacks and continued fighting were reported Monday morning in Suweida’s western countryside, overlapping with government troop movements in neighboring Deraa province.
The situation remains tense as observers warn of further escalation unless central authorities reassert control and sectarian tensions are defused through dialogue and inclusive security arrangements.
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